What are Hybrid Classes?

The craze for online classes has been rapidly building momentum. People are more interested in doing an online course rather than attending a physical classroom. Online programs have become so popular that more and more institutions are coming up with the concept of online degrees.

Not only this but we even have universities and colleges which function entirely on online platforms. But there are some drawbacks of online education as well, students never get to have a face to face or in-person interaction with their classmates or professors. But the good news is that we have something called as hybrid classes where a student won’t be deprived of these facilities. 

What is the definition of Hybrid Classes?

Hybrid Classes in simpler terms can be explained as a “mixture of both online and offline classes”. 

Though the definition of Hybrid classes varies from university to university, college to college, more or less it is still the same in most of the context. The concept is to offer online classes 25% to 50% of the time online and the rest of the time in a traditional classroom setting. This way they manage to give their students an overall experience of online and offline classes. 

What do you understand by Hybrid classes, how does this work?

Let’s try to understand this concept with the help of an example. 

Let’s say a traditional 3 credit course will require you to attend classes on Mondays and Wednesdays for one and a half hours each. But if this course becomes a hybrid course then you will attend a physical class for one and half hours on Monday and you will have an online class of one and a half hours on Wednesday or you might be asked to do some assignments or projects or have a discussion among your batch mates online on Wednesday. This is a mixture of both types of classes. 

Now let’s discuss some of the benefits of Hybrid classes. 

Merits of Hybrid classes

As we can say hybrid classes are the bridges between online classroom training and offline classroom training, they offer a great level of flexibility and come with a lot of advantages. 

One gets all the benefits of online classes

The most disturbing fact for students attending a traditional regular class is that they won’t get a chance to go back and listen to the stuff which the professor had taught in one of the classes.

 But through this online media, you can watch the recorded videos of professors as many times as you wish without any hindrance or interruption. You can refer to the ppts or slides as when and where you wish. Through ebooks, pdfs, and videos your life becomes much easier. During midterm exams, you don’t have to shuffle through your notes worrying if you have missed out on important information

In-person interaction or Face to face interaction takes place smoothly

As online classroom studies cannot fulfill your need of making face to face interaction with classmates and professors, Hybrid classes make sure that you get the best advantage of in-person interaction or face-face interaction.

 So, you spend time constructively having meaningful discussions among peers and professors. Sometimes you even get to go for an in-depth or prolonged discussion. You can ask doubts to your professors and even professors devote more time to the students as they are not bound to finish the entire syllabus with a particular time and many things are taken care of by online discussions and recorded videos. 

Trains you to be a pro both in online media and offline media

As different students have different grasping power and learning style, this method fits into the requirement of both sets of students. Some students wish to attend classes through online media where they enjoy watching videos, referring to readymade slides or PowerPoint presentations where some like attending live and real classes, and interacting with professors. 

The concept of hybrid classes satisfies both sets of students. Through this learning technique one becomes a master both in online and offline forums. You get to learn how to deal with technology as well as how to learn in a regular conventional setup and that is the best part of Hybrid classes. 

Comes with a lot of flexibility as compared to traditional classes

As a student, it becomes much easier for you to manage your studies and pursue your hobby. It gives a whole set of flexibility that you enjoy throughout the entire duration of the course. 

You can participate in social activities, join a music or dance club in your city, or may join a toastmaster club or anything that interests you.

 You can also give time to family and friends and moreover studies don't seem like a burden to you, rather you start enjoying study by learning this way. 

Acts as a stepping stone towards a great career

You cannot overnight think and decide that you can go to online classes and you will succeed in this set of environments. Before you make a decision you can try the concept of hybrid learning as it is a mixture of both. You might start loving the concept of learning through your journey. So yes, this can be the best platform for students. 

Are they right for you? 

Well, there is no right or wrong answer to this question. It simply comes down to what are your expectations. What kind of classes you enjoy, studying in a physical classroom or in a virtual classroom. Many people prefer virtual classrooms over the traditional and many say virtual classrooms cannot replace traditional physical classrooms because they have their own charm. The only thing we can say is Hybrid classrooms or Hybrid teaching methods cater to the need of both sets of people. But again it's an individual choice. It depends on person to person what kind of education you wish to get.

In recent times the hybrid method of teaching has gained enormous importance over time as it serves the purpose of a wide range of students and is Innovative and challenging in many ways. Educators do believe that with the advancement of technology there is a high chance of virtual classrooms coming into the picture in many ways and forms but as it cannot simply replace the physical classrooms, it is expected that hybrid classrooms will take over both physical and virtual methods of teaching in the coming days.